The recent rains and cool evenings are a welcomed relief from the heat and drought of summer. Also a welcomed sight are the falling leaves. Not because they signal the end of summer, but because they can be converted into precious organic matter.

Leaves are a wonderful and inexpensive way of turning our heavy clay dirt into deep rich soil. So, as the leaves fall and you clean them up, here are a few suggestions of what to do with them instead of placing them curb side.

Leaves can be composted using traditional methods and used at a later date. They should be shredded first to assist in the composting process.

Plus, less space will be needed for the same amount of leaves. When building the compost pile, it is best to include some sort of green material such as freshly mowed grass or plant material. The nitrogen in the green matter helps ensure that the pile heats up and the leaves decompose. You will need to turn the pile at least twice this winter to ensure the composting process is complete.

Another, less intensive and technical method is to make direct applications of leaves to flower beds and vegetable gardens. This method is quite simple and takes little effort. Collect the leaves in the grass catcher on the lawn mower. This will break up the leaves, moving along the decomposing process rapidly. Apply three inches of the leaf shreds to the garden area and till them in. Repeat the process at four-week intervals until the cold winter weather sets in.

If you begin early, you may get as many as three applications of leaf material. For a little added boost, spread five pounds of 10-10-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet after the second application of leaves. This composting-in-place process requires less effort than building and turning the traditional compost pile.

A third option is to simply grind them up with the lawn mower and allow them to fall to the soil surface and decompose.

Although many leaves have already fallen due to lack of rain, what are left will continue to come down these next few weeks. And finding a use for this valuable organic material is a wonderful way to take advantage of the seasonal occurrence. Leaves can be composted in a conventional compost pile, directly applied to the garden soil, or mulched with a lawn mower and allowed to decompose in the grass.

However, it is much better to use the leaves as a soil additive rather than a mulch cover. As a mulch cover they tend to get wet and mat down, making it difficult for water and air to reach the root zone.

Bruce Chladny is horticulture agent at K-State Research and Extension-Douglas County. For more information, call him at 843-7058 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays.